Why choose Tyler Heart Institute?

Tyler Heart Institute has a highly experienced and committed team of doctors, nurses, and staff, as well as state-of-the-art equipment. Whether you are simply trying to improve your heart health, are looking for information on a heart condition, or need diagnosis or treatment, Tyler Heart Institute can help.

Find out more about our quality results for interventional cardiology and open-heart surgery.

Heart attack symptoms

According to the American Heart Association, common heart attack symptoms may include:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

Atypical symptoms include:

Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.

Women may be less likely than men to experience chest pressure during a heart attack. They may be more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, dizziness, and pressure in the upper abdomen and back.

Community Hospital has been accredited as a chest pain center by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. This accreditation recognizes our expertise in dealing with patients who arrive with symptoms of a heart attack.

What should I do if I think I’m having a heart attack?

Call 911. Even if you aren’t sure that you’re having a full-blown heart attack, your symptoms need to be evaluated immediately to prevent damage to your heart. Let a 911 dispatcher send an ambulance to pick you up; don’t drive yourself to a hospital.

Take an aspirin. If you are not allergic to aspirin, while you wait for the ambulance to arrive you can place a regular-strength aspirin on your tongue and allow it to dissolve to prevent blood from clotting.

How to make an appointment

To see a doctor at the Tyler Heart Institute, you will first need to be referred by a cardiac specialist.

Visit your family doctor, who can refer you to a cardiologist if needed.